


Baby, You're My Only Reason

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baby Names, Family Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Parenthood, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4666863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis worries about becoming a father.His pregnant husband, Harry, eases his worries without even realizing he's doing it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, You're My Only Reason

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cutiepatootieharry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutiepatootieharry/gifts).



> I wanted to write more than one of the amazing prompts I received but I haven't done an mpreg yet so I went with this one. I hope you like it. 
> 
> Title is from One Direction's Drag Me Down.
> 
> Thank you to my betas C and Z, you guys make me want to keep writing.

Louis looks at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The laugh lines by his eyes are more like worry lines recently. He looks older but not _old_ exactly. All the changes in his life have been piling up on him lately and he’s terrified. Afraid of being not enough and too much all at once. Afraid he’s going to lose everything. Afraid of what’s coming. His nerves are ragged at this point and once again the thought crosses his mind that he doesn’t know if he can do this, any of it. He wants to, _God_ , does he want to, but he’s not sure he’s ready.

Murmuring from the bedroom pulls Louis from his thoughts and he tears his gaze from the mirror. Walking to the door that separates the two rooms, Louis peaks out the opening.

“And Daddy can’t wait to meet you either,” Harry coos to the bump that is now his belly. He caresses it with a hand as though what lays inside can feel him. Maybe she can. He doesn’t know, but he’s not going to pass up any chance to let his daughter know how loved she is. “We’re going to be so happy, us three.”

Louis leans against the bathroom doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, and watches Harry talk to their daughter, throat growing tight with unshed tears. Harry is so ready to be a parent. He’s always been ready, Louis thinks, since they fell in love when Harry was just sixteen. Louis thinks they could have gotten married then and had a million babies and Harry would have been no less thrilled with life than he is right now. Louis both admires and is envious of that. He wishes he could be as happy as Harry is without all the anxiety and worry chipping away at him.

“We’re going shopping for things for your nursery tomorrow,” Harry chatters on to their unborn child. “I was thinking we’d go with a purple and green color scheme, what do you think of that?”

Harry stills his hand on his belly as though he’s waiting for an answer, like the baby will divulge her own preferences if he just gives her the chance.

“I’m taking your silence as affirmation,” he informs her.

“Maybe she doesn’t realize you’re talking to her,” Louis pipes in after clearing his throat. “Perhaps if we could agree on a name for her, getting her opinion might be easier.”

Harry looks up from his belly with a sweet smile for Louis. After all these years, he still looks at Louis as though he’s someone worth waiting up for at night, someone worth spending your formative teenage years falling in love with rather than playing the field like most kids that age, someone worth pledging the rest of your life to. “I guess we’d best get to work then.”

Louis huffs out a laugh, pushing off the doorframe and crossing the room to the bed. Somehow, even at the worst of times, Harry still manages to bring out the best in him. The best attitude, the best thoughts, the best feelings. God, Louis is so in love. Harry just has this magical way of making him feel like he’s more than enough while also making him want to be _better_. He crawls in the bed next to his husband. “Should we go the celebrity route and name her a fruit or something? Banana Styles? A direction? South Styles? Or maybe a play on her last name, Next Season’s Styles?”

“Stop,” Harry giggles, playfully pushing at Louis’ shoulder. “You’re a menace.”

“If I have anything to do with it, she will be too,” Louis says, wrapping his arms around Harry and nodding pointedly at Harry’s baby bump.

Harry leans in and nuzzles his nose against Louis’, giving a sweet eskimo kiss before grinning excitedly. “I can’t wait.”

Looking into Harry’s eyes, Louis can’t help but find the love and joy there contagious. “Me neither,” he says, surprised to find that he means it more than he expected. He wants a family with Harry more than anything, he’s just afraid he’s not going to be as good at being a dad as he is a big brother. He worries more than he’ll ever admit. “I bet she’ll have lovely curls, just like her Papa.”

“And beautiful blue eyes, like her Daddy,” Harry adds, rubbing his hand thoughtfully over his belly again.

“I’m partial to green, meself,” Louis says with a teasing smile.

“She’ll be perfect no matter what she looks like,” Harry says, a wistful, faraway look to his eyes.

“Didn’t you once say in an interview that you wanted to name your daughter Darcy?” Louis asks, drawing Harry’s attention back to him.

“Yeah,” Harry answers with a chuckle, shaking his head. “But that was a long time ago. I don’t really think she’s a Darcy, are you, baby?”

Harry speaking to his belly makes something ache in Louis’ heart. It’s a nice ache, one that tells him he wouldn’t mind repeating this part again someday. And isn’t that something? A little while ago, he was worried about parenthood and now he’s thinking about having more kids before this one is even born. Maybe it’s how happy it makes Harry to have a life growing inside him, maybe it’s the way he glows because of it. Whatever it is, it’s important. It has the power to wash away all of Louis’ fears in one fell swoop. They may come back later, when Louis is alone with only his thoughts, his own insecurities eating away at him. But Harry blocks them all out when he’s around. He’s magic, Harry is. If Louis had to put money on it, he’d bet his entire net worth that Harry’s an angel. There’s no other explanation. Well, he _could_ be a wizard.

“Besides,” Harry goes on, this time speaking just to Louis, “I think we should go with something more gender fluid. That way if she doesn’t _feel_ like a “she”, she can keep at least a part of the name we gave her and still be herself.”

The fact that Harry has already put so much thought into their child’s future makes Louis’ throat go a bit tight again.

“You’re absolutely right, babe. I love how thoughtful you are,” Louis says softly, bending to press a kiss against Harry’s lips. “You’re going to be the best Papa this baby could ever ask for.”

“And you’ll be the best Daddy,” Harry’s soft grin makes Louis’ heart stutter. His hand takes up its movements again, rubbing over his belly, over _their baby_.  And Louis suddenly has no idea why he was ever scared in the first place. He’s not doing this alone. With Harry by his side, he’ll be able to do anything for this baby.

“How do you feel about Samantha?” Louis asks, gently pressing his own hand against the swell of Harry’s abdomen. “She could shorten it to Sam, or Sammy if she wants.”

Harry hums in consideration, absentmindedly covering Louis’ hand with his own. “It’s alright. How do you feel about it, baby girl?”

There’s no answer from the baby and Harry turns to his husband, face expressing what he thinks is their daughter’s displeasure. “I don’t think she likes it.”

“Okay,” Louis thinks a bit more as Harry strokes the back of his hand. “How about Veronica? I’ve never heard of a Veronica that wasn’t smart as a whip. And, you know, they say there’s power in names.”

Harry laughs at that. “Of course, that’s why I have such glorious hair,” he comments.

“Still seducing me with those curls, Hazza,” Louis agrees, sneaking a kiss to Harry’s neck until Harry squishes Louis’ face trying to block off the ticklish area with his chin.

“Veronica is pretty,” Harry says through his giggles, “but she doesn’t seem to have an opinion on that one either.”

“Harry, I doubt she has any understanding whatsoever about what we’re saying,” Louis argues reasonably. “This is a decision for _us_ to make.”

Harry pouts adorably. “I just don’t want her stuck with something she hates.”

“Almost everyone hates their name at some point in time, babe. It’s a rite of passage,” Louis says, pulling his hand back from Harry’s belly to run it through his hair as he thinks.

“Maybe we should try something that isn’t just shortened to make a boys’ name. Maybe we should look at names that are actually used by boys _and_ girls,” Harry muses.

Louis snorts,” What? Like Taylor?”

Harry gives Louis a warning look but there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Taylor is a perfectly nice name for a perfectly nice person, Louis.”

“Oh, so Taylor it is then?” Louis teases, poking Harry’s dimple when it finally pops as Harry’s grin is revealed.

“I don’t think she’s a Taylor,” is all he says, shaking his head at his husband.

“Okay, let’s list some names off and see if anything jumps out at us,” Louis proposes before counting off names on his fingers. “There’s Ashley, Shannon, Alex, Joey.”

Harry giggles. “You think we have a baby kangaroo in here?” He asks, gesturing to his stomach.

Louis shrugs.

“I dunno, do we?” He leans over Harry and speaks directly to his belly. “Are you a Joey, sweetheart? Little kangaroo in Papa’s belly?”

He’s smirking at Harry’s belly button when Harry gasps.

“Oh my God, I think she likes it,” Harry says, awe in his voice as he takes Louis’ hand and presses it to the side of his stomach that’s farthest away.

Sure enough, there are little feet kicking and shuffling under Louis’ hand.

“You like that, baby girl? D’you want Joey to be your name?” Louis asks again.

The baby keeps kicking up a storm and Louis looks up from where she’s pressing her feet against his hand to see tears in Harry’s eyes.

“Aww, sweetheart, what is it?” Louis asks, wondering if all that kicking might be painful for his husband.

“It’s real,” Harry whispers back. “I mean, I knew it was, obviously. I’ve had this life growing inside of me for months but, it’s just hit me. We’re having a baby. She’s got a name now, and it’s just so real. And as much as I couldn’t wait to meet her before, the feeling is even more urgent now. I just want to hold her in my arms, our little Joey.”

“Baby,” Louis coos at his husband, wiping the tears off his cheeks with his thumbs. “Me, too. I want to hold her, too. And I can’t wait to see you with her, because I know she’s going to make your face light up with happiness. As radiant as you are now, you’re going to be even more beautiful with our baby in your arms.”

Harry cuddles into Louis, too overwhelmed with love and happiness to risk ruining it with words.

Louis knows exactly how his husband feels and lets Harry rest silently against him, shifting only to wrap an arm around Harry’s neck. Harry smiles at him and shifts closer still, leaning in to give a kiss. Louis accepts, expecting a short little peck. A ‘thank you for understanding’. But soon enough, their little kiss grows into something more. Harry’s tongue delving into Louis’ mouth, slick and inviting. Louis’ always been weak for Harry’s kisses so he doesn’t object and before long they’re snogging like they did when they were teenagers.

“Ough,” Harry huffs as he pulls away suddenly, wincing with a hand to his side. “I think Joey is already raising a protest to having her parents make out in front of her.”

Louis snorts and addresses Harry’s belly once more. “Now look here, little kangaroo, when two people love each other very much—“

He’s cut off by Harry smacking him playfully in the shoulder, laughing as he does so. “I think she’s a bit young for that talk, Lou. She’s probably just reacting to my heartbeat speeding up.”

“Maybe,” Louis shrugs speaking directly to their baby again. “But she’s just going to have to get used to the sound of her Papa’s heart racing, because Daddy is never going to stop kissing him. It’s a forever kind of thing Daddy and Papa have, little kangaroo. Just you wait, you’ll have a love like this too someday, then you’ll understand.”

“I love you so much,” Harry says seriously once Louis’ eyes raise from his belly to meet his.

“I know,” Louis smirks. “I love you, too. I believe I just said something to that effect.”

“Shut up and kiss me, you fool,” Harry orders through his smile.

“Aye, Aye, Captain,” Louis quips, leaning in to capture Harry’s mouth once more.

 

:)

 

Harry is up with the sun, moving to the bathroom to empty his bladder that little Joey seems to have deemed her favorite sitting spot. He brushes his teeth afterward, considering taking his morning shower alone before deciding to curl up in bed for a bit longer. He’ll take his shower later, hopefully accompanied by his gorgeous husband.

As Harry crawls back into bed he studies Louis face, sweetly serene as he sleeps, face tucked into Harry’s pillow as though he’s missed him even in slumber for the few minutes Harry spent in the bathroom. He feels a rush of love, like his heart is growing just the slightest bit more to make room for the added affection, as he lays down on his side. He thinks he could live a thousand lifetimes and he and Louis would always find each other. He wonders if Joey has always been a part of the endless loop of their love, or if she’s a new addition, a reward for finally getting everything right.

Harry laughs to himself at the ridiculousness of his thoughts, he’s not one to dismiss others beliefs but he’s not certain that he, himself, actually thinks reincarnation is a possibility. If it is though, he is certain that he and Louis are it for each other no matter how many times they come back. Even as he thinks it, Louis reaches out to him, still not quite awake, and pulls Harry in close.

Louis’ warmth washes over him as they spoon, Harry acting as the little spoon. He wonders quite suddenly if this is why he’s always preferred being the little spoon in this position, because he always had a feeling deep down that he’d be carrying their baby one day? Or maybe it was just wishful thinking, no, _hopeful_. Hopeful thinking. That sounds better, there’s more promise to a hope than a wish.

He closes his eyes, trying to go back to sleep for a while but instead he ends up thinking. About the past, about all the roads they had to take to end up here. The fake in-fighting and the beards. The closeting and the way Harry fought it tooth and nail while Louis endured it, to protect him, protect _them_. If Louis hadn’t given in to so many demands, then Harry wouldn’t have been able to be anywhere near as open about his sexuality as he was. Louis gave him that breathing room, that freedom to be himself. There were so many hard times that it seems almost too good to be true that they’ve ended up here. Harry never doubted them though. He knew they’d make it. They _had to_ , because a love like the kind he felt for Louis didn’t just fade away. Losing Louis had never been an option. So, they had waited out the disasters, each gust of wind that had tried to knock them off their feet, each tidal wave that had left them breathless, feeling like they might be dying. They have withstood it all. They are survivors and they carry both their scars and their triumphs in the ink that decorates their skin.

Harry opens his eyes and looks down at the bump that holds his little Joey, he can just see the tops of his laurel leaf tattoos. So tiny and his little princess is already wearing a crown. He can’t wait to show her the world.

“Mmm,” Louis hums into Harry’s neck. “You’re thinking too loud.”

“I am not,” Harry contends, affronted. He wasn’t saying anything out loud, he’s perfectly capable of ascertaining when he’s speaking and when he isn’t, no matter how zoned out he may be.

“You’re doing that thing where you sigh heavily every few minutes,” Louis explains, eyes still closed like maybe he’s still planning on sleeping a bit longer.

Harry scrunches his brow but doesn’t dispute it. He does do that. He hadn’t realized. “Sorry,” he mumbles an apology.

“It’s alright, babe,” Louis assures him sleepily, snuggling into Harry’s neck and pressing a kiss there. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah,” Harry answers, a grin growing on his lips. “I was thinking about us. All the things we had to go through to get here and how grateful I am that we made it.”

Louis smiles against Harry’s skin. He wouldn’t even give up the most miserable of memories because each one was leading him inevitably a step closer to this moment, his family, his happiness. “Was worth it.”

“Yeah,” Harry agrees. “That’s what I was thinking.”

“Are you worried at all?” Louis asks, sounding tentative behind Harry. Harry doesn’t like that, that he can’t see Louis’ face, can’t read what he’s feeling. He has to shuffle himself around a bit, finding it hard to turn over but eventually he manages. He finds Louis quietly laughing at him, sly grin staying on his face as Harry gives him a mock look of disapproval.

“Heeeey,” Harry scolds, swatting at Louis’ chest only to have his hands caught and held.

“Sorry, sorry,” Louis lies, nothing makes him smile quite like Harry does. His eyes crinkle with happiness and Harry gladly gives up on their little play fight, soothed by his husband’s smile.

“There’s nothing to worry about, you know,” Harry promises, squeezing Louis’ fingers as they hold hands. “Anything that’s difficult, we’ll deal with it together. We’re going to be great at this.”

“I know that now,” Louis reassures him, raising one of Harry’s hands to kiss his knuckles. “I know.”

It’s true. Louis knows that he doesn’t have anything to worry about. It’s a complete turnaround from yesterday. He doesn’t even know why he held on to his fears for so long but he thinks that Harry was right, now that they’ve named Joey, it’s so much more real. And wonderful.

“Hey,” Harry says, drawing Louis from his thoughts. “I think her middle name should be Anne.”

“Joey Anne Styles?” Louis grins. “Our mothers are going to love that.”

Harry laughs. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” Louis answers.

And it is. His life, his love, his future.

It’s all so incredibly _perfect_.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. <3


End file.
